MTA takes aim at a complete overhaul of Queens’ bus network

NEW YORK - The MTA held an hour-long information session on Friday to address the concerns of commuters in Queens who say they are afraid that a massive overhaul of the borough’s entire bus network will eliminate some of their routes.

The redesign aims to take the 107 local, limited, SBS and express routes and streamline them, improving efficiency and speed.

Over 700,000 riders rely on weekday service, with many waiting an excessive amount of time. Other see multiple buses stop at the same places. The MTA calls this a tangled web of redundant routes that were drawn 75 years ago following trolley routes. So now, they are following a blank slate approach.

The Queens redesign follows that of Staten Island and the 14th Street busway in Union. The MTA says they plan to eventually redesign bus routes in every borough. 

So far, the MTA has hosted 9 open houses and 7 meetings with elected officials to receive public input and will have more throughout February. They also stress that the current proposal is simply a draft, and not the final plan.

The next proposal will be put forth in the late spring/early summer.